Megan and I were discussing the fact that, while our group has selected collaboration as our project topic, we have been thinking about how we can approach the topic individually, not collaboratively. Thus, we propose to shift gears so that our project is more collaborative in its structure and content. As MS Team Leaders, our role is to work more collaboratively as Grade Level Leaders while building the grade level teams. The PLP project now seems to us like the ideal opportunity to create a structure for improving collaboration as part of the MS Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan. Through developing collaboration within and between our teams, we can start to establish more intentional 21st c. curriculum within all areas of our division. The Plan Focus: Professional development
Steps: # 1 The problem or question The problem we wish to address with our project:
As team leaders, in our second year of working in teams with our new structure, one of our goals is to develop a more collaborative approach to developing our curriculum at our various grade levels. Part of the Middle School Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan is also to develop vertical (6th-8th) changes that match 21st c. skills (ex. Where is PowerPoint taught and how? Who is teaching CyberSkills in each grade level and how might we best divide such curriculum?) Thus, we wish to focus both on process—designing ways to collaborate—and climate—part of the reason the team structure was approved was for greater communication and, by extension, improved morale among our faculty of 15 core teachers.
#2 Objectives and Assessment Develop objectives and authentic assessments for determining what you want learners (adults) to be able to know and do after the project and how you will determine they have mastered the objectives your project laid out. Objectives: Colleagues will understand the value of a true collaborative team approach to managing the various grade level’s curriculum. Colleagues will examine different 21st century tools for conducting collaborative learning. Colleagues will collectively, at grade level, select two tools to pilot in the 2010-2011 academinc year.
Assessment: Two tools selected by the team. One cross-curricular mini-project or goal (ex. Improved advisory system) developed by the team.
3. Networked Design Think about how you will design your project so participants can share, connect, collaborate, or move to some type of collective action. Faculty will be asked to use a Moodle we set to share their thoughts, frustrations, comments during the time between meetings so that program meetings can run more efficiently in evaluating useful tools and developing a cross-curricular project.
4. Set the Context What have others done to address this problem? Do some research as a team to see what others have done. Get ideas. Divide up different research roles to individual team members. Each of the team leaders (three of us) will poll our teams to determine background knowledge about Web 2.0 tools and which ones they would find interesting to learn more about.
Each of the team leaders (three of us) will poll our teams to determine areas in which they would like to collaborate in piloting: portfolio assessment; one unit “co-taught” thematically; advisory system with clear curriculum designed collaboratively.
5. Proposal How will you solve the problem? Describe what you will do to address the problem/opportunity described earlier. Are you doing anything different than others have attempted? Why or why not? Why do you propose that your approach will succeed better than prior attempts or will work better with your faculty? By using a Moodle, we have an opportunity to post articles for colleagues to read. We have an opportunity to float proposals and new ideas without waiting for a meeting to be formed to discuss them. People can ponder information with time and space rather than feeling compelled to respond in the moment. To be continued…
6. Evaluation How will you determine the success and effectiveness of your solution and the impact of your project? Do you plan to determine pre and post results? How will you know that the behavior of your faculty has changed/improved? Note: When possible, make this an action research project.
The success and impact of the project will be evident in ease with which we move through our MS Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan and begin to implement more 21st c. skills at all grade levels and in all departments. Pre results might be determined through our looking at subject/department reports about what and how 21st century skills are being taught. Post results will be the increase in people using more tools. Post results would also be in greater collaborative curriculum. It can be made part of an action research project as various grade levels test new methods (ex. Portfolio assessment; different homework policy, etc.), analyze the results and re-implement the method having adjusted it.
7. Timeline How will your project progress? Indicate the dates of the project initiation and completion for each step of your design, implementation and evaluation. March 2010 – Discuss project with rest of Grade Level Team and bring third team leader on board. Update: We completed this!
April 2010 – Poll faculty; together with principal and Grade Level Team create a proposal of expectations for faculty regarding use of the Moodle. Update: We had a conversation with our principal and Team Leaders group regarding expectations.
May 2010 –Set up Moodle and demonstrate its uses in full faculty meeting; explain expectations and rationale. Update: Are we ahead of schedule?! After excellent feedback from our school PLP cohort, we decided to use a Moodle as our experimental tool. We decided to introduce it in a mid-April faculty meeting and to make it initially a stream-lined, simple and fun activity. After some fun forum discussion, we would like to expand the Moodle to cover more in-depth, curricularly related topics (which we have gathered from conversations in our team meetings).
June 2010-7th and 8th Grade Team Leaders will design presentation to explain learning in the 21st c. ; present select Web 2.0 tools
End of June 2010 – Team Leaders will set up Moodle and encourage faculty to use over the summer
Opening Meetings in Aug. 2010 – Faculty will discuss which areas to focus in by grade level. 8. Documentation How will you document your progress along the way? Will you share in your team group room in Moodle? Will you create a collaborative blog? A Google Doc? We will create a Google Doc or use another PLP-taught tool, to be able to share information. We will solicit input from others on the most effective way to document our progress.
Megan and I were discussing the fact that, while our group has selected collaboration as our project topic, we have been thinking about how we can approach the topic individually, not collaboratively. Thus, we propose to shift gears so that our project is more collaborative in its structure and content. As MS Team Leaders, our role is to work more collaboratively as Grade Level Leaders while building the grade level teams. The PLP project now seems to us like the ideal opportunity to create a structure for improving collaboration as part of the MS Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan. Through developing collaboration within and between our teams, we can start to establish more intentional 21st c. curriculum within all areas of our division.
The Plan
Focus: Professional development
Steps:
# 1 The problem or question
The problem we wish to address with our project:
As team leaders, in our second year of working in teams with our new structure, one of our goals is to develop a more collaborative approach to developing our curriculum at our various grade levels. Part of the Middle School Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan is also to develop vertical (6th-8th) changes that match 21st c. skills (ex. Where is PowerPoint taught and how? Who is teaching CyberSkills in each grade level and how might we best divide such curriculum?) Thus, we wish to focus both on process—designing ways to collaborate—and climate—part of the reason the team structure was approved was for greater communication and, by extension, improved morale among our faculty of 15 core teachers.
#2 Objectives and Assessment
Develop objectives and authentic assessments for determining what you want learners (adults) to be able to know and do after the project and how you will determine they have mastered the objectives your project laid out.
Objectives: Colleagues will understand the value of a true collaborative team approach to managing the various grade level’s curriculum. Colleagues will examine different 21st century tools for conducting collaborative learning. Colleagues will collectively, at grade level, select two tools to pilot in the 2010-2011 academinc year.
Assessment: Two tools selected by the team. One cross-curricular mini-project or goal (ex. Improved advisory system) developed by the team.
3. Networked Design
Think about how you will design your project so participants can share, connect, collaborate, or move to some type of collective action.
Faculty will be asked to use a Moodle we set to share their thoughts, frustrations, comments during the time between meetings so that program meetings can run more efficiently in evaluating useful tools and developing a cross-curricular project.
4. Set the Context
What have others done to address this problem? Do some research as a team to see what others have done. Get ideas. Divide up different research roles to individual team members.
Each of the team leaders (three of us) will poll our teams to determine background knowledge about Web 2.0 tools and which ones they would find interesting to learn more about.
Each of the team leaders (three of us) will poll our teams to determine areas in which they would like to collaborate in piloting: portfolio assessment; one unit “co-taught” thematically; advisory system with clear curriculum designed collaboratively.
5. Proposal
How will you solve the problem? Describe what you will do to address the problem/opportunity described earlier. Are you doing anything different than others have attempted? Why or why not? Why do you propose that your approach will succeed better than prior attempts or will work better with your faculty?
By using a Moodle, we have an opportunity to post articles for colleagues to read. We have an opportunity to float proposals and new ideas without waiting for a meeting to be formed to discuss them. People can ponder information with time and space rather than feeling compelled to respond in the moment. To be continued…
6. Evaluation
How will you determine the success and effectiveness of your solution and the impact of your project? Do you plan to determine pre and post results? How will you know that the behavior of your faculty has changed/improved? Note: When possible, make this an action research project.
The success and impact of the project will be evident in ease with which we move through our MS Re-Envisioning Strategic Plan and begin to implement more 21st c. skills at all grade levels and in all departments. Pre results might be determined through our looking at subject/department reports about what and how 21st century skills are being taught. Post results will be the increase in people using more tools. Post results would also be in greater collaborative curriculum. It can be made part of an action research project as various grade levels test new methods (ex. Portfolio assessment; different homework policy, etc.), analyze the results and re-implement the method having adjusted it.
7. Timeline
How will your project progress? Indicate the dates of the project initiation and completion for each step of your design, implementation and evaluation.
March 2010 – Discuss project with rest of Grade Level Team and bring third team leader on board. Update: We completed this!
April 2010 – Poll faculty; together with principal and Grade Level Team create a proposal of expectations for faculty regarding use of the Moodle. Update: We had a conversation with our principal and Team Leaders group regarding expectations.
May 2010 –Set up Moodle and demonstrate its uses in full faculty meeting; explain expectations and rationale. Update: Are we ahead of schedule?! After excellent feedback from our school PLP cohort, we decided to use a Moodle as our experimental tool. We decided to introduce it in a mid-April faculty meeting and to make it initially a stream-lined, simple and fun activity. After some fun forum discussion, we would like to expand the Moodle to cover more in-depth, curricularly related topics (which we have gathered from conversations in our team meetings).
June 2010-7th and 8th Grade Team Leaders will design presentation to explain learning in the 21st c. ; present select Web 2.0 tools
End of June 2010 – Team Leaders will set up Moodle and encourage faculty to use over the summer
Opening Meetings in Aug. 2010 – Faculty will discuss which areas to focus in by grade level.
8. Documentation
How will you document your progress along the way? Will you share in your team group room in Moodle? Will you create a collaborative blog? A Google Doc?
We will create a Google Doc or use another PLP-taught tool, to be able to share information. We will solicit input from others on the most effective way to document our progress.